Paul, father of College Soccer Guy, responds to a commenter who said his son should quit soccer for academics. Paul argues college soccer teaches discipline, teamwork, and responsibility that employers value across any career, not just dentistry. He says the experience enriches personal development regardless of division level.
I think we need to give up on this college soccer thing. All these emails, all this money, all this effort. Just let him go to school. What? He cares about it that much? I know he cares, and he has played for years, and we've driven all over kingdom come, but I say tell him to bag the soccer. In fact, we'll just undermine him. We won't remind him about it. He won't have an outside advisor helping him. This college soccer thing, You know what? Let him be a dentist, get it over with, forget silly games. He won't have any memories. It's not like he's going to have a wonderful experience on a soccer field, things he'll remember his whole life. Forget all that. He'll just be a college student worrying about his studies and not about silly sports anymore. Okay, that's not how it is. I'm Paul, I'm Zev's dad, and let me tell you, both of my sons, including Zev, who you know from College Soccer Guy, played college soccer, and it was one of the most fantastic things for them in many regards. Let me also tell you something really important. Once they got out of college, any college athlete is extremely appealing to professionals in all aspects of business because they know the guy has faced it, or girl, has faced adversity, has had problems, has learned about training, understands discipline, and is coachable. Because when your son or daughter enters the workplace, they're They're going to have to learn, and people love athletes who played in college. So it's an experience that's both helped them and also gives them a richness in life. They won't even appreciate it fully at the time, but afterwards, that camaraderie, the traveling, the sense of purpose. Also, when they're playing college sports at any level—D1, D2, D3, or any other schools—it really gives them a lot of focus. It makes it some of the, let's call them extracurricular activities that can play take place at college. I'm not saying they're not going to have some fun and do some fun things, but it also brings them discipline, brings them responsibility. They work as part of a team. Whether they end up riding the bench the whole time, they're still on that bus for those long car rides. And when they're on that bus, they're not in some of the other places college kids can get to be. So in many, many regards, in the present, the future, who they are as people, college soccer is a valuable, worthwhile experience. And comment "Dad" if you want tips from College Soccer Guy.
